Moving in
by Melanie Bettinelli on October 30, 2008
I know I said I wouldn’t be around. But the cable company hasn’t yet switched service to the new house. (Surprise, surprise. When does the cable company ever do anything right the first try?) Though they did come and run the wires today.
So I thought I’d quickly post a few photos I took today.
The first thing I carried into the new house was my statue of the Blessed Mother.* May she always watch over our house and keep us safe beneath her mantle. I think she looks very nice in the front window, though I’m not sure she’ll stay there. I also love the view from this window. All the houses across the street are backed by a dramatic spread of some of New England’s best fall color.
*The second thing I brought in was a box of books. Yep, I’ve got my priorities.
As I predicted, Bella made a beeline to the back yard and immediately tested out her new slide and swingset, left by the previous owner.
I had to show her how to sit on the swing. But once I’d done that, she was climbing off and on by herself all day.
However, she still hasn’t mastered opening the sliding door.
It was quite a cold day, so I kept Phia inside most of the time. We brought a box full of toys and books to keep both the girls amused.
It is already shaping up to be a difficult transition. Both girls are having quite a bit of separation anxiety as their whole world is uprooted. When Dom and my dad left early this morning so they could be there when the plumber showed up, Bella had a meltdown. “Daddy and Granddad!” she cried over and over at intervals. On the way down, she couldn’t get there fast enough. Every time we hit a light or a traffic slowdown she’d start chanting, “Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go.” And things were bad coming home tonight too. When we got here and daddy wasn’t here yet, she threw a tantrum. Not that I blame her, poor creature. Sophie, too, has been out of sorts. Though that may be more because of her new tooth and feeding off of Bella’s fussiness. I think the next couple of days will be tough until we are settled in and unpacked in the new place. Then we’ll have to deal with the upset when granddad goes back to Texas.
I am so excited I have two rosebushes at the front of the house along with some holly and what I think are probably rhododendrons. Now I just have to figure out how not to kill them. I’ve got a bunch of studying to do this winter. I’d love to plant a garden in the spring and grow some vegetables. But first I have to learn the first thing about gardening. If anyone knows of any good books suitable for the beginner, I’d love some suggestions.
Ok, back to packing. i’ll leave you with another photo of my sweet little baby girl who I hope will learn how to crawl now that she’ll have much more space in the living room, and all softly carpeted too.
Comments
Congratulations! (I don’t think I’ve said that yet—I’ve been so busy lately. My apologies!) Everything looks just beautiful including those two sweet girls of yours! I’m going to e-mail you soon to catch up. I’m just so happy for you that everything worked out so well! I’ll praying for you all during this transition.
Posted by Hallie on 10/30/08 at 09:50 PM
We’re so excited for you! I’m sure you’ve thought about the next couple of things i’m going to suggest but I’ll say them anyway: check the old swingset for stability. maybe get out the wrench and tighten or even replace some bolts. things can seem great, but there might be a small tighten here or there that could add years to its life and even a bit to its safety - yay for the girls though - how great to have a swingset! Maybe give Bella a temporary corner of her own in the main room for while you’re moving in. setup a palette of blankies and pillows, maybe even a fort (we turn our cosleeper on it’s side while in playpen mode and add a blankie to make a fort for claire) - with books and special toys, so she’s got her own island of comfort where she can hold court while everything is in disarray. Lastly - hang in there - it’s a great new adventure, and while moving stinks, you’re in a home now and calm will come very soon. take a breath and savor the good stuff!
Congratulations again!
Posted by betsy on 10/30/08 at 11:34 PM
I like your priorities
I can tell you’re very excited, and I’m very happy for you. We’ll be moving to a different city very soon, and I’ve been wondering about my children’s reaction (they’re 3 and 2) My idea for a smooth transition for them is based on setting up what will be their new room exactly the same way it is now - I hope this will help them ease anxiety. I think it’s also important to keep in place the same routines, as much as possible. And, as my husband jokes, as long as we keep welcoming them in bed with us at night, they’ll be fine 
Anyway, with a very private playground in your backyard, I’m sure the girls will be happy very soon - it’s just too bad it’s already so cold!
Can’t wait to see more pictures!
ps- Will Dom carry you though the threshold? After all, in a way it’s your first house
Posted by GB on 10/31/08 at 10:42 AM
Thanks everyone.
Giulietta,
We’re not going to be able to keep the layout of the girls’ bedroom the same, though I think that’s a great idea. But for one thing we won’t need to keep the spare bed in there because we now have another bedroom. Still, we’ve been lucky enough to be able to take them down to the new house yesterday and today. I think that will really help. And at least the furniture will be the same.
And we’ve been talking up the move to Bella. I started a couple of nights ago, telling her we are going to take everything to our new house. I made it a litany, naming every piece of furniture and all the possessions that I could think of: We will take Bella’s bed to the new house, we will take the tables and chairs, we will take the couch and the plates, your books and your toys, etc.
We’ve tried to keep the routines constant. And I agree that will help. And I wonder if having a few changes in the past year might actually help. The new baby and the new bed and all. She gets the idea of what “new” means and can sort of understand change. But we’ll see how they do tomorrow night.
And no, I don’t think we’ll do the carrying across the threshold. I don’t want to strain Dom’s bad back. But it is a sweet thought.
Posted by Melanie Bettinelli on 10/31/08 at 10:46 PM